Overview
- USGS measured a magnitude 4.2 earthquake at 12:41 p.m. MT on Jan. 29, centered roughly 7 miles northeast of Great Falls near Malmstrom Air Force Base.
- The shallow quake was widely felt across central Montana and reported in parts of Canada, with no injuries or major damage reported.
- Malmstrom officials said inspections across the base and missile complex found no impact to personnel, equipment, facilities, or security, and operations continued normally.
- USGS issued an aftershock forecast of about a 27% chance of an M3+ and about a 6% chance of an M4+ in the next week, and a 2.7 aftershock was recorded near Great Falls Thursday evening.
- Great Falls police logged 73 quake-related 911 calls in 20 minutes, and officials urged residents to reserve 911 for true emergencies and review basic earthquake preparedness.